#1
Posted: 2/14/05 at 9:59pm
Okay, so I was in NYC Thursday-Sunday and had an absolute BLAST, a good deal because of the WONDERFUL theatre I got to see while I was there.
First, Avenue Q on Thursday night. I'm a big fan of the recording and know of all the songs, so I had some high expectations. There was a little nervousness about Barret Foa, as John Tartaglia is just so WONDERFUL on the recording. Well, as soon as Barret Foa came on and started singing...I was WON. What an adorable, endearing stage presence (along with being supremely easy on the eyes)! The show as a whole completely fulfilled every expectation I had. Everyone was on and amazing. I think Stephanie D'Abruzzo impressed me the most with her serious acting. In the scene where Princeton breaks up with Kate, she was just so clearly vulnerable and crushed and it broke my heart. (Although it was ESPECIALLY clear from my awesome second row seats. XD) WONDERFUL experience.
Friday night! La Cage Aux Folles. This is a bit tougher. Gary Beach and Daniel Davis were BOTH out, which was a big disappointment, although moreso for my two friends who had watched The Nanny a lot. I felt very underwhelmed by the show, in all honesty. The Cagelles, of course, were INCREDIBLE. They are the real stars of the show. And while there were some excellent moments, including "I Am What I Am," the whole production was just not as funny, entertaining, or endearing as I would have expected from such a classic show. Most of the scenes only felt competent. The best non-Cagelles moments were easily Michael Benjamin Washington's as Jacob. And that cage dancer deserves a mention all on his own. WOW.
Saturday Matinee was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Okay, this is the show that I enjoyed the MOST. What an AWESOME show. And what an incredible performance by Norbert Leo Butz. He positively steals this show and runs wild with it. I will be cheering him at the Tonys! The rest of the cast is also excellent, and I felt truly PRIVILEDGED to see Joanna Gleason on stage. What a total class act. She just has such perfect line delivery and such a lovely voice. John Lithgow does wonderfully with his role and manages to not be overshadowed by the flashiness of Freddie's character. Sherie Rene Scott is wonderfully endearing. And I must say, even after hearing her wonderful singing on The Last Five Years and Aida CD's, I thought her voice sounded even BETTER hearing it live. Very impressive. And Gregory Jbara! Adorable, really.
Last was Wicked on Saturday night. Great show with some weak moments. I did think Avenue Q deserved the Tony above it, because I found Avenue Q to be of much more consistantly higher quality. Wicked has some definite weak songs and scenes. However, I still THOROUGHLY enjoyed myself and cried at the end. Jennifer Laura Thompson is WONDERFUL. INCREDIBLE timing and a beautiful voice. She didn't have quite the same light ease as Kristen Chenoweth on the high-high notes, but we can't all be coloraturas. She still sounded great. I thought Shashona Bean was wonderful, too. David Ayers put in a very youthful, energetic performance that made me curious to have seen Norbert's original performance, just because he's older. I was THRILLED to see George Hearn on stage, even in such an underwritten role. My biggest disappointment was actually not getting to meet him at the stage door, as he snuck straight out to a car.
So, all in all, I had a wonderful time in New York. The one place I would rather be more than anywhere else in the WORLD is in a Broadway theatre.
First, Avenue Q on Thursday night. I'm a big fan of the recording and know of all the songs, so I had some high expectations. There was a little nervousness about Barret Foa, as John Tartaglia is just so WONDERFUL on the recording. Well, as soon as Barret Foa came on and started singing...I was WON. What an adorable, endearing stage presence (along with being supremely easy on the eyes)! The show as a whole completely fulfilled every expectation I had. Everyone was on and amazing. I think Stephanie D'Abruzzo impressed me the most with her serious acting. In the scene where Princeton breaks up with Kate, she was just so clearly vulnerable and crushed and it broke my heart. (Although it was ESPECIALLY clear from my awesome second row seats. XD) WONDERFUL experience.
Friday night! La Cage Aux Folles. This is a bit tougher. Gary Beach and Daniel Davis were BOTH out, which was a big disappointment, although moreso for my two friends who had watched The Nanny a lot. I felt very underwhelmed by the show, in all honesty. The Cagelles, of course, were INCREDIBLE. They are the real stars of the show. And while there were some excellent moments, including "I Am What I Am," the whole production was just not as funny, entertaining, or endearing as I would have expected from such a classic show. Most of the scenes only felt competent. The best non-Cagelles moments were easily Michael Benjamin Washington's as Jacob. And that cage dancer deserves a mention all on his own. WOW.
Saturday Matinee was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Okay, this is the show that I enjoyed the MOST. What an AWESOME show. And what an incredible performance by Norbert Leo Butz. He positively steals this show and runs wild with it. I will be cheering him at the Tonys! The rest of the cast is also excellent, and I felt truly PRIVILEDGED to see Joanna Gleason on stage. What a total class act. She just has such perfect line delivery and such a lovely voice. John Lithgow does wonderfully with his role and manages to not be overshadowed by the flashiness of Freddie's character. Sherie Rene Scott is wonderfully endearing. And I must say, even after hearing her wonderful singing on The Last Five Years and Aida CD's, I thought her voice sounded even BETTER hearing it live. Very impressive. And Gregory Jbara! Adorable, really.
Last was Wicked on Saturday night. Great show with some weak moments. I did think Avenue Q deserved the Tony above it, because I found Avenue Q to be of much more consistantly higher quality. Wicked has some definite weak songs and scenes. However, I still THOROUGHLY enjoyed myself and cried at the end. Jennifer Laura Thompson is WONDERFUL. INCREDIBLE timing and a beautiful voice. She didn't have quite the same light ease as Kristen Chenoweth on the high-high notes, but we can't all be coloraturas. She still sounded great. I thought Shashona Bean was wonderful, too. David Ayers put in a very youthful, energetic performance that made me curious to have seen Norbert's original performance, just because he's older. I was THRILLED to see George Hearn on stage, even in such an underwritten role. My biggest disappointment was actually not getting to meet him at the stage door, as he snuck straight out to a car.
So, all in all, I had a wonderful time in New York. The one place I would rather be more than anywhere else in the WORLD is in a Broadway theatre.
